A number of important companies and the federal government have formed the Clean Energy Partnership Berlin (CEP). This was formally announced on 4. June. Members are Aral, BMW, BVG (Berlin Transport), DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GHW (Company for High Performance Electrolyzers for Hydrogen Generation mbH), Linde, MAN, and Opel. Together they will test the everyday suitability of hydrogen. Other alternatives can be tested optionally. A filling station will be built in Berlin where hydrogen is generated by electrolysis but also delivered and stored as cryogenic liquid. 

The car companies will operate a test fleet of finally about 30 vehicles. After the test phase the cars will be used in everyday service. Other objectives of the project are to prove the suitability for normal service and the acceptance by the customers for new filling methods. Finally all partners will come to an agreement how to proceed. 

Hans-Martin Bury, Minister of State at the Federal Chancellery, used the occasion to underline the long term economical significance of the development. Whoever invests now in research and development of hydrogen propulsion technologies will be in front on the markets of tomorrow. „I want Germany to be the first country where the zero emission car everybody talks so much about becomes a serial product“, Bury said.

(Joint press release of 4. June; press release No. 301/02 of the federal government of 4. June 2002)

On 7. May Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (Berlin Transport) and the French oil company TotalFinaElf have concluded an agreement on joint research into hydrogen technology. The first BVG bus driven by a fuel cell will be used in autumn in public transportation in Berlin in the framework of a project partly funded by the EU. Until 2005 there will be five to ten buses in Berlin using this technology. One of the service centers of BVG will host a hydrogen competence center with a filling station and a specialized workshop.

(Press release by TotalFinaElf of 7. May 2002)

On 26. April 2002 a network on „Future Technology Fuel Cell Rhineland Palatinate" was created in Mainz, the capital of the German state of Rhineland Palatinate. One of its objectives is the transition to a hydrogen economy on the basis of renewable energies (see our press release 3/02 of 15. May 2002)

On 30. April 2002 a hydrogen and fuel cell initiative for the state of Hesse was founded at Frankfurt-Hoechst. Apart from Infraserv Hoechst (Frankfurt) the companies Buderus (Wetzlar), Celanese Ventures (Frankfurt), Mainova (utility, Frankfurt), OMG (Hanau), Opel (Mainz-Kastel) and Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik (Giessen) as well as ISET (Kassel) and the universities of Darmstadt and Frankfurt for the research side take part. (See our press release 2/02 of 8. May 2002)

ZSW („Center for solar and hydrogen energy research Baden-Wuerttemberg“) has opened a new fuel cell test center at Ulm on 21. May. It will make performance and endurance tests on fuel cells ranging in power output from 0,1 to 100 kW. These measurements will be made for all kinds of customers, and the systems will also be evaluated. In a second step a fuel cell education center will be established. The start of the building works is foreseen for this autumn.

(Suedwest Presse, 17. May 2002)

The Spanish hydrogen association, or „Asociación Española del Hidrógeno“, was founded on 9. May in Madrid. Among the founder members are 16 companies from different business fields (energy, industrial gases, LPG, buses, aerospace) as well as research or other non-profit institutions.

Which is the best source for hydrogen, and which is the most sensible way to use it as fuel for a car? The complete chain from fuel production from raw materials up to consumption in a car („Well-to-Wheel“) was subject of a study which was made for Opel / General Motors by, among others, L-B-Systemtechnik at Ottobrunn. The investigation for the conditions probably prevailing in Europe in 2010 comprised a total of 36 fuel paths as well as 18 conventional and alternative propulsion concepts. The researchers dealt with energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but not with costs.

Hydrogen cars running on fuel cells performed on top. This holds even when the hydrogen is gained from natural gas by reforming. Less, but still advantageous is the direct use of natural gas in a combustion engine when compared to gasoline or diesel engines. No advantage was found for hydrogen from natural gas in an internal combustion engine. It was also found that methanol based fuel cell cars are not superior to gasoline or diesel combustion engines or fuel cell cars with gasoline reformers.

(Press release by General Motors of 21. May 2002; a preliminary version of the study can be found on the internet server of L-B-Systemtechnik (www.lbst.de/gm-wtw).)

Plug Power and Honda will jointly develop a fuel cell heating device based on natural gas which can also be used to fill up a hydrogen car. The signing of a letter of intent to this effect was announced in mid-May.

(Press release by Plug Power of 14. May 2002)

A commercial passenger aircraft running on liquid hydrogen fuel is technically and economically feasible. This is the result of a study project called „Cryoplane“ which was done in the 5. research framework of EU and came to an end in late May with a meeting at the Joint Research Center of the Commission at Ispra (Italy). The safety level would by no means be lower than for conventional planes, rather higher. The management of EADS Airbus GmbH announced that the company will do further work on the subject and intends to become the European leader in this field.

Storing hydrogen as a cryogenic liquid offers a lot of advantages and has a big disadvantage: cooling and liquefaction require energy. While the minimum value is principally about 14 MJ (almost 4 kWh) per kg, 10 kWh (36 MJ) are generally used for practical purposes. Recent research done at the Technical University of Dresden shows ways how to reduce this figure. The selection of a mixture of Helium and Neon in particular, as well as other improvements, could bring it down to 7 kWh (25 MJ) per kg. Even better results are possible depending on the details of the plant layout. 

(Look it up in the net at http://www.tu-dresden.de/mw/iem/kkt/mitarbeiter/lib/Wasserstoff/wassertech.html)

EWE, a utility located at Oldenburg (NW Germany), tests the fuel cell in a pilot experiment with private customers. Up to 2003 a total of 155 fuel cell heating devices manufactures by Sulzer Hexis (Switzerland) will be installed at interested persons and operated under realistic conditions. The first three went into operation in early May. 

(Weser Kurier, 10. May 2002; s. No. 2/02 „Looking for pioneers”)

In mid-April a solid oxide stack started operation at the Juelich Research Center which scored new world records in more than one respect. The stack, consisting of only 40 planar single cells, delivered a power output of about 9.2 kW at an averaged operating temperature of 850 °C and running on hydrogen, about twice as much as the predecessor type. Running on methane it came up to 5.4 kW, more than five times what earlier types could. This is a new record for a planar system both with respect to power output as well as to the cell size. The working temperature is comparatively low for this type of cell, which reduces material, seal, and other problems. The group aims at a 20 kW system. A complete system fit for service in a building with 20 kW is a firm objective for 2004. The Federal Ministry for Economy and other parties fund the work.

(Press release of Juelich Research Center of 7. June 2002)

„During the 15 years to come the car will change more than in the past 50 years. The four wheels will probably be the only thing that remains.“ This was said by DaimlerChrysler head Schrempp during the Innovation Symposium of his company at Sindelfingen (near Stuttgart). The cars will improve in terms of safety, performance, and comfort, but they should also become lighter. At the same time environmentally benign propulsion will be further researched into. DaimlerChrysler bets on the fuel cell. „Oil as fuel will come to its limits not because of resource depletion, but because of the high carbon dioxide emissions“, research head Voehringer said. 

(Weser Kurier, 12. June 2002)

The Golden Gate Bridge near San Francisco is exactly 5250 km away from the Capitol in Washington. A Necar 5 running on methanol covered this distance now in 16 days. Pure operating time was 85 hours, corresponding to an average speed of 61 km/h, with peak up to 145 km/h. The overall condition of the car at the end was excellent. 

(AP, 5. June 2002; DaimlerChrysler press release of 5. June 2002)

There are almost no fuel cells with a power output above 300 kW. The companies Norske Shell, Aker Kvaerner, and Statkraft are going to change this. On 28. May they signed an agreement about the creation of a project group which will investigate the feasibility of fuel cell power stations running on natural gas with an output of 10 ... 20 MW. The group intends to be the leader in the commercialization of this class. A first study will deal with the technical and economical basics. Investments are estimated to be 135 M€. 

(Joint press release of 28. May 2002)

The greater part of the climate changes observed over the recent decades are apparently due to human activities. While this statement for itself may be hardly surprising, the place where it can be found probably is: in a report for the United Nations silently released by the environment agency of the US federal government (EPA). Natural variations can not be excluded, but it is likely that in the 21. century as well man will be responsible for the progress of warming of the earth, associated with a rise of the sea level. More rain in some parts of the world and longer droughts in others might also be among the consequences.

Environment organizations saw the report as an important change in the statements of the government. The latter continues to insist that a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should be done on a voluntary basis only. An agreement to the Kyoto protocol remain out of discussion (see „Stands firm“).

(AP / Reuters, 4. June 2002)

Investments in climate protection done now by multinational oil companies can be profitable in the long term. This is the result of a study named „Oil companies and Climate Destruction“ by Greenpeace. It shows that an alternative energy economy is technically feasible, and the oil industry could afford its part of it. Greenpeace concludes: „The end of the fossil oil era is foreseeable. Global climate protection is therefore not only a necessity for the national and global economy — investments in renewable energies in time are a strategy for the survival of the company.“

(Greenpeace press release of 6. June 2002)

US president Bush maintains his position that the USA will not take part in climate protection measures on the basis of the Kyoto protocol. In a discussion with the leaders of the party groups in the German federal parliament during his visit to Berlin on 23. May Bush repeated his objections against a number of details which in their sum would exclude a US agreement. Bush said that compliance would mean that America would enhance nuclear energy. He would not survive it politically if he would start a fight with his industry over Kyoto; this was the effect of his statements according to press reports. „He was rock hard in this point“, was the impression of Peter Struck (Social Democrats).

(Der Tagesspiegel, 24. May 2002)

All fuels made from biomass will be temporarily exempt from the fuel tax in Germany, just as „Biodiesel“ is already. The federal parliament approved a motion by the federal government to this effect on 7. June. Tax free are now Biogas, synthetic gasoline and diesel made from solid biomass, bioethanol, biomethanol, and hydrogen from biomass. 

(Bundestagsdrucksache 14/8711)

After a rather longish period of keenly observing what the other German states do Lower Saxony now starts to support the fuel cell activities in the state. Environment minister Juettner declared to the state parliament on 13. June that the state government lets prepare a roadmap by the Technical University of Clausthal and the Energy Agency of Lower Saxony. The final report is expected for early 2003. Up to now projects in this field in Lower Saxony receive financial support from federal funds only. 

Canada has a leading role in the development of fuel cell technology, but could lose it if it does not develop a general strategy as background for it. This is the effect of a study done by PricewaterhouseCoopers for Fuel Cells Canada. The federation and the provinces have spent about 150 MCan$ (almost 100 M US-$) over the last 20 years, but funding dropped recently and is now below the values for Japan. Industry and government are urged to jointly expand research and development and to inform the public about the advantages of the new technology.